Coeo

Responsibilities of this role include:

Acting as a trusted advisor by providing technical design assurance and conducting architecture design sessions to ensure we provide the right solution for our clients’ needs.
Providing technical leadership by defining standards and process improvements across the consulting team, driving customer satisfaction and building deep technical relationships with clients and partners.
Enhancing and identifying new IP offerings to help accelerate customer deliveries.
Providing technical pre-sales support to our Sales team by conducting scoping sessions, generating work estimates and producing Statement of Works.
Providing mentoring, knowledge transfer and technical support to colleagues in the Consulting, Sales and Managed Services teams.

Highlights of this role include:

Working with a large retailer to successfully migrate over 140 databases and approx. 40TB of data from their on-premises business-critical SQL Server instances to SQL Managed Instances General Purpose. I was technical lead on the project, designing the solution to meet the client’s requirements for cost and availability, and utilising the Azure Log Replay Service during migrations to keep downtime to under 1 hour. I implemented Resource Governor and Data Virtualization post-migration to further optimise costs, while also improving batch processing times.
Working closely with the Azure Fast-track team, I used Azure Migrate to successfully move over 100 on-premises Windows application and database servers to Azure Virtual Machines as part of a datacentre exit project for a large financial services client, resulting in significant savings in hosting costs.
Working with colleagues to develop new IP and services to improve the efficiency of deliveries and to accelerate migrations to Azure SQL, increasing Azure consumption revenue and reducing operational costs for clients.

Principal Data Platform Consultant

Senior Data Platform Consultant

DXC Technology

This role involved uplifting and migrating the client’s legacy SQL Server 2005 databases, SSIS packages, and .NET applications over to supported platforms running SQL Server 2014/2016. This included analysing legacy database code for compatibility and security issues, introducing new database functionality, and developing a test and migration strategy to minimise disruption to the end client. 

The application consisted of several .NET websites, bespoke Windows services, and Microsoft Identity Manager 2017 (MIM) used to maintain and synchronise personal data across the client’s organisation. I worked closely with my project colleagues to design and support SQL Server databases, stored procedures, and SSIS packages required by the application using Visual Studio 2019, Azure DevOps and GitHub to manage development and source code. 

I was also responsible for producing detailed installation and design documents that conformed to the client’s strict security requirements.

SQL Server Consultant (DV Cleared)

Microsoft

This role involves working with Microsoft’s largest customers to provide SQL Server operational support, consultancy and training. This is a high profile, customer facing role requiring excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate complex IT solutions to a wide range of people. The role involves a high degree of troubleshooting and analysis skills, and a willingness to adapt new technologies to deliver enterprise-scale solutions.

Highlights of this role include:
•	Working alongside customers’ DBAs providing SQL Server configuration, administration, performance tuning and upgrade/migration best practice advice.
•	Providing rapid support to customers to recover their SQL Server systems in the event of disaster or service affecting performance issues.
•	Providing SQL Server training and consultancy on new features, such as Azure SQL Database Managed Instances.

Key customer projects I have worked on include:
•	Working with the Bank of England to design and implement a highly available SQL Server platform utilising SQL Server Always On Availability Groups and virtualisation technologies.
•	Working with Unilever to deliver Azure SQL Database readiness training, including using Azure SQL DB Managed Instances and migration from on-premise to Azure SQL Database.
•	Performing SQL Server risk assessments for customers including Audi and PwC. This involves reviewing the customers’ SQL Server configuration, database design, database maintenance, database code, backup/recovery techniques, SQL Server performance, security and monitoring to provide recommendations where improvements could be made to reduce risk in the environment.

SQL Server Premier Field Engineer

This role involves designing and supporting enterprise-scale SQL Server 2012 and 2014 solutions for a large client hosted in a managed private cloud. 

Key responsibilities include:
•	Designing, deploying, and supporting enterprise-scale SQL Server systems accross multiple sites to provide high availability and disaster recovery.
•	Upgrading and migrating legacy SQL Server 2005/2008 applications to SQL Server 2012/2014.
•	Providing 3rd line DBA support, including incident root cause analysis, performance tuning and optimisation, and database design reviews.
•	Completion of detailed design documents that conform to SQL Server best practices and stringent security requirements.
•	Following ITIL best practices for change and release management.

SQL Server SME (SC Cleared)

Nomura

I joined Nomura as a SQL Server Engineer working in the Database and Middleware Engineering team to deliver a project to design, build and migrate the Risk Data Store application across to a new SQL Server 2014 Always On Availability Group to provide high availability and read-scale. 

Key responsibilities included:
•	Designing and building a 3-node SQL Server 2014 Always On cluster to provide high availability, disaster recovery, and scalability for the Risk applications. 
•	Providing SQL Server DBA support to all areas of Risk.
•	SQL Server proactive monitoring, query tuning and optimisation.
•	Providing knowledge transfer and best practice advice to improve on SQL Server database performance, operations and design.
•	Database migrations, upgrades and capacity planning.

Key highlights included:
•	Successfully upgrading Nomura's standalone SQL Server 2008 databases to a new SQL Server 2014 Always On Availability Group. This involved migrating almost 50TB of databases in one weekend, ensuring zero downtime for the application.
•	Scaling-out resource-intensive reporting workloads onto a readable secondary replica in the Availability Group, reducing blocking and improving batch performance on the primary replica. 
•	Providing SQL Server best practice and query optimisation advice, including optimising a stored procedure that was consuming up to 300TB of data per day on average, reducing the I/O workload by over 95%.
•	Developing SSRS automated reports identifying poor query performance. I used this data to identify performance improvements, helping Risk to consistently beat their batch SLAs by over 5 hours.
•	Working with colleagues in storage to build multiple full-size SQL Server 2014 development environments for Risk using thin-provisioned SAN storage, saving 50TB of storage per environment.

Microsoft SQL Server Engineer

Barclays Capital

I joined Barclays Capital in a senior SQL Server DBA role, providing support to critical run-the-bank systems. I was responsible for project delivery, working with relevant applications teams, engineering teams and vendors to provide SQL Server administration and support to all Barclays’ business areas.

Key responsibilities included:
•	Project Change Activity, Major Incident Management and Root Cause Analysis
•	Database upgrades, migrations and capacity planning
•	SQL Server high availability including clustering, log shipping and database mirroring
•	Performance tuning and optimisation
•	Disaster recovery planning and database maintenance
•	Engaging with application teams to provide database consultancy and service improvements

Key highlights included:
•	Designing and deploying a new SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services platform integrated with SharePoint 2013 to replace the Barclays legacy SSRS 2005 reporting platform. I was also responsible for leading the project to migrate reports and users across to the new platform, working with colleagues across geographic regions to coordinate activities and provide technical leadership.
•	Working with application teams to introduce service improvements to reduce the occurrence of service affecting incidents, achieving a 75% reduction in incidents for a business critical Basel III Risk application.
•	Planning and participation in successful DR testing at both an individual application and datacentre level.

AVP SQL Server Database Administrator

HP Enterprise Services

I accepted the role of SQL Server SME Team Lead at HP Enterprise Services in July 2012. This role involved designing highly available and scalable SQL Server platforms to support a large client. 

Key responsibilities of this role included: 
* Leading a team of SQL Server engineers designing highly available SQL Server systems utilising clustering and virtualisation technologies, and working with project team to implement these designs into production environments. 
* Working directly with technical architects to complete detailed design documents that conform to SQL Server best practices and stringent security and performance requirements. 
* Providing 4th line support to the SQL Server service operations team, including analysing service affecting performance problems and recommending improvements in design to increase database performance and scalability. 
* Following ITIL best practices for change and release management and developing detailed SQL Server documentation 

Key projects included: 
* Technical lead on a project to deploy a new SQL Server 2008 R2 hosting platform on ESX 5.1 to upgrade and migrate the SQL Server 2000 estate, approximately 150 SQL Server 2000 instances. This project involves working closely with Microsoft to profile the SQL Server estate using the MAP toolkit, and planning the migration activities with project teams to ensure minimal customer disruption. 
* Working alongside Microsoft Premier Support to deliver technical training in SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2012 to engineers including performance tuning and SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn.

SQL Server SME Lead

During this time I held the position of SQL Server Premier Field Engineer (PFE) at Microsoft. This role involved working with Microsoft’s largest customers to provide SQL Server operational support, consultancy and training. I worked with enterprise customers in industries such as financial services, telecommunications, energy, public sector, and retail sectors. This was a high profile, customer facing role requiring excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate complex IT solutions to a wide range of people including IT professionals, managers and board level executives. The role also involved a high degree of troubleshooting and analysis skills, the ability to react to rapidly changing customer environments and a willingness to adapt new technologies to deliver enterprise-scale solutions. 

Highlights of this role included: 
* Working alongside customers’ DBAs providing SQL Server configuration, administration, performance tuning and migration best practice advice. 
* Providing rapid support to customers to recover their SQL Server systems in the event of disaster or service affecting performance issues. 
* Mentoring and assessing colleagues to deliver Microsoft services such as the SQL Server Risk Assessment Program (SQLRAP) and SQL Server Performance Tuning and Optimisation clinics. 
* Developing a Reporting Services Health Check and a SQL Server and SharePoint Integration workshop, which were launched to customers worldwide.  
* Attending various SQL Server training courses, including training from the SQL Server internal product group and SQLSkills.com. 
* Presenting at SQL Server industry events, including delivering sessions on configuring Kerberos for SQL Server and SQL Server Reporting Services performance at SQLBits, which is the largest SQL Server event in Europe. 
* Receiving Microsoft internal awards as a result of my work with colleagues and customers.

During this period, I held the position of Lead Database Consultant in the Infrastructure Design team in BT. I was responsible for all aspects of SQL Server Infrastructure and application design, including high availability, disaster recovery, backup/restore techniques, security and performance.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Leading a project to design and build enterprise-scale SQL Server hosting platforms, with geographic resilience for disaster recovery. These platforms were built using SQL Server 2005 64-bit Enterprise Edition and HP PolyServe and were required to upgrade and consolidate BT’s entire SQL Server estate, ensuring there was sufficient capacity for future growth.  
* Leading a project team, prioritising work in order to meet strict timescales and working closely with Microsoft, HP and other strategic partners.

Lead Database Consultant

As part of a re-organisation, I was promoted to a Technical Lead role within the Web Services and Middleware team with responsibility for a team of 3rd line technical specialists and consultants.  My team was responsible for platform consolidations, service improvements and ensuring BT’s web and SQL Server platforms were resilient and capable of meeting future growth demands. In this role I faced many new challenges including recruiting team members, setting team objectives, dealing with platform escalations and managing relationships with external suppliers on top of my technical duties.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Successfully migrating over 600 SQL Server databases from legacy stand-alone systems onto clustered resilient platforms. 
* Rolling-out pro-active 3rd party SQL Server monitoring tools (Idera Diagnostic Manager) to maximise platform performance and availability.  
* Dealing with organisational and technical challenges in order to deliver results in strict timescales.  

To further my professional experience, I attended Leadership and Teambuilding training and gained BCS Professional membership status. I also work closely with Microsoft and was involved in the development and testing of the SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access tool and was involved in the SQL Server 2008 TAP programme. http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001059

Head of Web Services Engineering

I joined the BT Intranet Support team to perform the role of Senior SQL Server Database Administrator, working in the 3rd line SQL Server support team. In addition to production DBA duties, I was responsible for designing, installing and administering the SQL Server platform to maximise resilience and facilitate large-scale consolidations.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Designing and rolling-out a highly-available SQL Server 2000 platform using Windows 2000 Advanced Server clusters, which was the first clustered installation of SQL Server deployed in the BT estate. 
* Migrating existing SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 instances onto this platform, decommissioning over 30 servers in the process. This project saved the business an estimated £4 million in licensing and support costs in two years.  
* Production DBA duties, including database maintenance, high availability, backup and recovery, monitoring and security. 
* Implementing SQL Server service improvements including writing a proactive monitoring solution to identify performance problems. 
* Providing SQL Server performance troubleshooting, working on service affecting performance problems.  
* Providing SQL Server technical training and consultancy to application developers in order to improve SQL Server performance.

Senior SQL Server Database Administrator

I was responsible for applications development and SQL Server Administration on the BT Global Solutions Intranet.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Successfully designing and deploying large-scale intranet applications using SQL Server 2000, ASP and .NET.  
* Providing technical consultancy and training in SQL Server performance tuning to colleagues and customers.

SQL Server Applications Specialist

I am an IT professional with extensive experience working on Enterprise-scale, business-critical SQL Server projects, including over 5 years working at Microsoft providing support and consultancy to their largest SQL Server customers. I have a substantial technical background and problem-solving ability, working across major industry sectors including financial services, telecommunications, energy, retail and government. I have a strong customer focused approach, and an ability to easily communicate at all levels. I enjoy challenging myself and learning new skills and technologies, presenting sessions at SQLBits and SQL Server User Group meetings. 

Specialties: SQL Server (versions 7 to 2022), Azure SQL migrations, Azure cost optimisation, Data Architecture, SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure security and networking, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Power BI, SQL Server performance tuning and optimisation, T-SQL, stored procedures, SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery.

Taplio

Rob Carrol's Linkedin Analytics

Rob Carrol

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?